SMART considers fee hike

Heads up if you're a patron of the SMART bus system.

SMART -- the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation -- is considering hiking its bus fee after 16 years of static fares. SMART -- which provides transportation for thousands of riders every day -- has been holding a series of informational meetings about the possible hike, asking riders for their opinions.

Reactions have been mixed, according to SMART spokeswoman Beth Dryden.

"We're getting all kinds of feedback," Dryden said.

"Some riders are upset about the possibility of raising the fares, while others have been supportive. But we'd like people to remember that the last fare increase we had was in 1993, and from 1977 to 2007, our operating costs have risen by 75 percent, but revenue has only gone up by 27 percent."

Detroit resident Michael Stephen -- who has been riding SMART to his position at Wayne State University for the past six years -- has varied feelings about a rate increase.

"I feel the rates should have been increased years ago," said Stephen, a big fan of SMART's park and ride service.

Stephen said he was concerned about the monthly park and ride rate, which could go from $66 per month to $82 per month, according to SMART's Web site.

"It's been 16 years, and it was great they could do what they did for as long as they have in today's economy. But they want to jump the monthly park and ride rate," he said. "That's a big jump for me. I could handle it better if it was down in the $75 per month range instead."

Not surprisingly, one of the biggest problems for SMART is the drastic increase in fuel costs.

"For us, the cost of fuel has gone up by 275 percent," Dryden said.

"Every 1 cent per gallon increase in fuel prices costs SMART an extra $34,000. We were hit extremely hard when the price of diesel went up to over $4 per gallon. We handled this by instituting $7 million in cuts in order to keep the buses rolling."

According to Dryden, only 10 percent of SMART's operating budget comes from fares, the rest comes from millage, state and federal funding. If a fare increase is approved by the SMART board, the cost would rise from the current $1.50 per ticket to $2

Other big city bus systems that charge $2 per fare include: New York City, Chicago ($2.25), Seattle, Miami, Houston and Denver. Currently, SMART operates about 600 large and small buses in southeastern Michigan, offering transportation to more than 44,000 riders each day. SMART recorded a 14 percent jump in ridership between 2007 and 2008.

SMART has two more fare increase public meetings scheduled, including: